Life in Canada will go on after the blockades, protests and arrests

By Lethbridge Herald on February 26, 2022.

Editor:

 Oh dear, what a performance! I am referring to the weekend’s Parliamentary antics debating and predictably passing the Emergencies Act. 

Meanwhile, after a substantial delay, the combined police forces of Ottawa, the OPP, the RCMP and detachments from Ontario, Quebec and across the country proceeded to shut down and remove the illegal occupation of our capital city. 

With the eyes of the country and the world on them, in about the same time as it took the House to pass the legislation, they removed the belligerent protesters who had desecrated monuments, terrorized residents of the downtown, displayed Canadian and other less acceptable flags, erected signs claiming their cause was “freedom” while threatening the freedom of others, threatened the dignity of our Prime Minister, assailed residents with a continuous blaring or air horns – just to mention a few of their methods. 

I mainly watched the excellent coverage of the CBC, whose reporters (one of whom was Lethbridge’s own Judy Trinh) braved the weather and the insults of protesters to bring to Canadians the largely illegal acts of their fellow citizens, who feel victimized by scientifically and medically backed methods enacted by governments to protect us from the spread of the COVID-19 virus and its variants. 

The police, mostly in riot gear, were organized, methodical and showed remarkable restraint. Protesters were pushed back and cleared from the main area of occupation, owners of vehicles were ordered to remove them, and all were repeatedly warned of the consequences if they did not comply. 

Close to two hundred arrests were made, and likely more to come, trucks and other vehicles not voluntarily removed were towed, structures and debris left behind removed, and parts of downtown Ottawa blocked off to all but authorized residents and officials. I sincerely hope most of the charges stick, that fines, loss of freedom and other restrictions will be applied to perpetrators, and that the vehicles seized will go on the auction block and compensation will be given to those who have been deprived of livelihoods and peace and quiet during the occupation.

 The Emergencies Act has been passed, supported enthusiastically by the Liberals, less enthusiastically by the NDP, and opposed to a member by Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition. 

I noted our esteemed Member of Parliament, who reportedly was on more than just nodding terms with some of the Coutts border crossing protesters, casting her “nay” vote, and also one opposition MP describing the Act as overkill as the Ottawa occupation was merely a “parking concern” – did he really think that a few uniformed officers chalking tires and issuing tickets was all that was required to remove the entrenched blockade of Ottawa and Parliament Hill? Unfortunately this will not be the end of protests by those who feel victimized by governments. 

Organized protests will continue, peacefully we hope, and the police will be called upon to protect ports of entry and government buildings. 

Millions of dollars worth of international trade has been affected by border blockades, policing costs must be astronomical, lawyers will be having a field day prosecuting and defending those arrested and charged, disruptions to the everyday life of many Canadians has been affected, and we all suffer from rising prices due to supply chain interruptions by blockades.

 Premier Jason Kenney, and his counterpart in Saskatchewan, are suing over the Emergencies Act, feeling it not to apply in these parts. 

Did he not notice the cache of weapons seized in Coutts, or the fact that some of the organizers of the Ottawa convoy occupation are from Alberta?

 As one of the protesters was heard to say when being challenged, “sas”, but not in the way he perceived the expression. 

Thankfully when I switched to other TV channels I could watch young athletes performing amazing feats of expertise and endurance in the Beijing Winter Olympics. And, let’s face it, the Canadian women’s hockey team did win the gold medal! Life will go on.

Geoff Bradshaw

Lethbridge